Take-Home Final Exam

The exam is due Friday Answers to the questions below are evaluated by two main criteria: the
accuracy and depth with which course texts are explicated, and the degree of success to which
philosophical conclusions are defended. Answers to each question should not exceed 10
sentences

I. Answer one of the following questions:

1. According to the canonical view of business social responsibility, the moral

obligation of business is to maximize profits while obeying the law. What
justification is there for this model of business social responsibility? What
shortcomings, if any, does it have? Incorporate at least one example each of
both ethical and unethical business conduct in your discussion.
2. Proponents of free markets depend upon market mechanisms to distribute
goods and services in the most efficient manner. This view assumes that self-
interested participants in the market will trade their resources in ways that
improve their condition. Thus, no one will be made worse off by free trade, and
the condition of many will be improved. Use a particular example or examples
to evaluate this line of argument. In particular, discuss types of goods that free
markets are arguably incapable of providing (environmental quality, worker
safety, etc.). What is the proper role of government with respect to goods that
the market fails to distribute efficiently?

II. Answer one of the following questions:

1. Rosen argues that hostile environment sexual harassment should be prosecuted

as a violation of the right to privacy rather than discrimination. In this way, he
hopes to diminish the incentive for employers to violate privacy by monitoring
e-mail and other employee activities that might give offense to coworkers.
Does Rosen’s proposal strike the right balance between privacy and
discrimination concerns? Or does he, as Wells and Kracher would probably
argue, leave some deserving victims of sexual harassment without legal
recourse?
2. The purpose of advertising is to sell products by stimulating demand. Drawing
on the papers by Preston, Nelson, and Lippke, discuss whether or to what
extent advertising should be regulated to protect consumers. Does misleading
or deceptive advertising thwart consumer autonomy and the proper operation of
the market, as Lippke contends? Or is Nelson right to take a more hands-off
approach in the expectation that consumers will see to their own advantage and
advertising will not sustain bad products in a competitive market?